Memories
by Swiftfire97
Summary: Shadow explores his memories again, with the help of a feathery friend. And hot chocolate is a good remedy for nightmares, it seems. Brotherly love, not a pairing. One-shot.


The knife fell to the floor with a clatter. Specks of blood covered the tile floor around the steel blade. A sigh was heard. Is this really what he had been reduced to? An empty shell of a hedgehog, robbed of feelings and memories? He felt soulless. Shadow watched the bloody knife fall to the floor and glanced at his arm. It was covered in blood, and a large cut ran down the length of it. It patched up with skin and fur after a few minutes however, healing itself. All that was left was the crimson liquid that the ebony hedgehog was so accustomed to. He growled and fell to the floor, beating his fists angrily.

A failed attempt at ending his life. At putting himself out of this misery. Memories of Maria and the life he had 50 years ago came back to him in a rush, and he clawed his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. When the memories started to fade away, he laid on his side on the kitchen floor, curling into a fetal position. He wished that the pain would stop. He wished that the memories would go away, along with his broken mind.

Shadow hated that his friends had to see him so weak, and in this state. But it seemed that it was all he could do. It was better than jumping off a bridge, at least. Then he didn't have to get wet. Besides, he could swim, so that was a stupid idea anyway. He wished he wasn't immortal. It could be so annoying, yet so awesome sometimes.

Shadow eventually got himself off the bloody floor and walked to the door. Opening it, he looked outside into the cold night air. It was winter. Snow was laid on the land like a blanket. Plus, it was snowing at the moment, and the white flakes gently fell to the ground. It was a peaceful sight, watching the snow fall. For once, Shadow felt at peace. He walked away from the house he shared with Sonic and Co. and walked up to a hill covered in snow. Their house was situated a little ways from the city, out in the hills, so of course nature was everywhere. It was a good remedy for them after harsh battles.

Shadow sat on the snow at the top of the hill, looking at the white world around him. His butt was freezing, but he ignored the pain. The cold air felt good in his lungs. He looked at his arm again. It was still covered in blood, now dried. He grabbed a clump of snow and rubbed it against his arm, washing off the blood. After, the hedgehog closed his eyes, listening to the life around him. By this time, his butt had gone numb.

Suddenly an owl hooted. Shadow opened his eyes to see a small barn owl sitting in front of him. It was staring at him with big eyes. Shadow stared into the owl's icy blue eyes, trying to interpret what the owl was thinking, seeing as he was an animal also. _Why are you out here, in the cold?_ It said with its eyes. Shadow talked back, also using his eyes to give his message. _Trying to forget my memories, you? _The owl turned his head in a spiral. _Oh, to catch a midnight snack. You're trying to forget? Why forget?_ Shadow grimaced. _The memories are gruesome, horrifying. I can't bear them any longer. _The owl looked at him with what he interpreted as sympathy. _True, memories tend to be horrific sometimes, but you can still learn from them. Maybe your mind is trying to tell you something._ And with that last message, the owl flapped its wings and took off into the night.

Shadow thought about this. Maybe the owl was right. And if this was true, then why mope around? Maria was trying to convey a message to him, and he was too caught up in his sadness to see it. Shadow silently thanked the owl for its insight. The hedgehog had a newfound respect for animals now. He thought hard, sorting through his memories for a clue. Eventually, his mind exhausted itself and he collapsed in the snow, asleep.

Sonic's POV

Sonic woke up in a cold sweat, evidence of another nightmare. He shook his head, getting a bearing of his surroundings. He was in his room, and it was near midnight. He got up and looked out the window to see falling snow. The sight made him feel better. Now all he needed was some hot chocolate, then he could get back to sleep. He walked out of his room into the hallway. He could see Shadow's door across the hallway, Tails's to his right, Silver's to his left, and Knuckles's around the corner.

He walked down the staircase to the living room. He looked around for the lamp in the dark and upon finding it, turned it on. Once he could see better, he walked to the kitchen, then stopped with a gasp. On the tile floor was a knife with blood crusted on the edge. Spots of blood covered the floor around it. Who did this? After Sonic's initial horror, he calmed down a little and went into detective mode.

He looked around at the floor and saw drops of blood making a path to the doorway. He opened the door and saw snow everywhere. Ignoring the beauty, he looked at the ground to see more spots of blood making a path to the east. Suddenly, he shivered violently as a cold wind blew in. He then realized that he was just in boxers. He cursed as he remembered that he didn't have any free clothes as they were all in the laundry. Trying to ignore the cold, he slipped some shoes on before walking outside into the snow.

Sonic followed the blood, all the while thinking who would do this. Most likely Shadow. If that was the case, then Sonic had better be prepared to face Shadow in one of his emo moods. Eventually the cobalt hedgehog reached a hill covered in snow. Shadow was sprawled in the snow, motionless. Sonic suddenly became worried and ran to the black hedgehog, putting a finger under the hedgehog's jaw. There was a pulse, and it was a little slow. Sonic sighed in relief as Shadow was just sleeping. "Well, better get you out of the cold." Sonic picked Shadow off of the ground and carried him on his back to the house. Closing the door behind him, Sonic went up the stairs to Shadow's room.

Shadow's room was quite plain, to be honest. There was a bookcase, a radio on the nightstand, a bed, and a soft rug covering the wooden floorboards. A computer sat in the corner, and Shadow's favorite headphones were hanging on the chair. Hundreds of music CD's littered the bookcase, with a few books sitting on a shelf. Sonic had never actually been in Shadow's room. "He really likes music. Nice hobby." Sonic placed the black hedgehog on the bed, placing a blanket on him. "Be right back." He said then walked downstairs to the kitchen.

After cleaning up the blood and the knife, the cobalt hedgehog grabbed some hot chocolate mix out of a cabinet and fixed two steaming mugs of hot chocolate complete with marshmallows and whipped cream. Before he went back upstairs though, he went and fetched a pen and a stack of yellow sticky notes. Shaking the pen to get the ink flowing, he wrote on the note then stuck it to his stomach as his hands were full. Turning off the lamp, he walked upstairs, then into Shadow's room.

Setting the mug on the nightstand, Sonic took the sticky note off his stomach and placed it on the mug. After, he went to Shadow's bookcase and looked at the music CD's. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I borrowed one." Grabbing a CD, he went into his room and, shutting the door, put on some headphones to listen to the music.

Shadow's POV

15 minutes after Sonic left, Shadow woke to see a mug of hot chocolate on the nightstand and a sticky note. Taking the sticky note, he turned on the lamp to read it.

_ Hey Shadow, sorry you're in a bad mood. I found a knife downstairs and knew it was probably you. Don't worry, I cleaned it and I won't tell anyone else. I also found you outside and took the liberty of delivering you to your room. Enjoy the hot chocolate! ~Sonic_

Shadow smiled as he got up and stuck the sticky note on a hidden side of the bookcase, so no one would see it. Sonic could be really nice sometimes. Shadow really loved his family at that moment. They really cared for him, even in his bad moments. He sat on his bed, drinking the hot chocolate. Sonic wasn't really that good at cooking, but man could he make hot chocolate. After downing the warm drink, Shadow turned off the lamp and fell asleep, smiling.


End file.
